Racing-vehicle.



H. D. CLARKE.

RACING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.191s.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Noam H. D. CLARKE.

RACING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1916.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- l-n wan-130% i arr m.

HARRY D. CLARKE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR T EFFICIENCY MOTOR CORPORATION, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A COPARINERSHIB.

reams-venom.

- airest.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY D. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements j in Racing-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in racing vehicles of the type employing internal combustion engines, and has for one of its objects to provide a casing substantially of torpedo-shape or cigar-shape so that a minimum degree of resistance will be created when driven at high speed, said casing, on account of its tapered front and rear ends, requiring less fuel and resulting in a greater speed than usual.

Another object is to provide a chamber or compartment within the casin between its ends for housing a river and a mechanician without appreciably increasing the size or diameter of the casing, and to provide an aperture for an entrance way to the chamber and a cover for said way which will conform to the general shape or contour of the casing.

Still another object is to provide a casing of the form described which will circumscribe and extend below the vehicle frame to permit the seats for the occupants to also be disposed below the frame and at an altitude below the driving shaft of the engine. Other objects relate to an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting the rays of light to permit the occupants, or one of them, to visibly inspect the roadway at both front and rear, and for an examination of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle; also to provide such an arrangement of parts that the center of gravity will be disposed lower than possible by any other construction, and that the operators within the chamber will be safeguarded from serious injury. Y

With the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned hereinafter, the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and Specification of Letters Patent.

v 1, looking to the front of the midway ing, numerals 7, 8, 9 and a Patented Fee. a, rear.

a lication filed July a, 1916. Serial No. 107,256.

minor details may be made, as determined by the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a racing vehicle embodying the invention, a part of the casing, frame and cover being broken away. View of the vehicle, parts being broken away, and'the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. vehicle. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4 l of Fig. 1, looking to the rear of the vehicle. Fig. 5 is a broken away, plan view showing the preferred construction for the exhaust conduits and a jacket for same. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, the scale being enlarged. Fig. 7 is a view in transverse section of one of the exhaust conduits shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawrespectively indicate the front wheels, the front axle, the rear wheels and'rear axle of a racing vehicle, the frame therefor being indicated at 11. I provide a casing 12 substantially of torpedo-shape or cigar-shape, its front wall a beingformed tapered to terminate at the radiator 13, its rear wall I) being tapered rearwardly and being substantially of coneshape and terminating at its junction with the rear end of the jacket 14 which contains the exhaust conduits, this part of said jacket being disposed in line with the longitudinal axis of said casing.

Since the vehicle is used for racing and to be driven upon good roads, the casing may be substantially imperforate to exclude dust and in-rushing air, and it may have its lower side or bottom disposed very near or close to the ground while circumscribing the frame, its top preferably being disposed at a sufficient height to suitably inclose the engine.

Since the part of greatest diameter of the casing is, substantially at its middle, and since it extends belowand circumscribes the frame, it provides suificient space for a chamber 15 which may be.occupied by a driver and a mechanician, seats respectively indicated at 16 and 17 being provided for them, said seats being disposed in a plane Fig. 2 is a plan below the frame, adjacent to the lower wall of the casing and, preferably, being connected to the saddle or strip 18 which issubstantially of U-shape and is secured at its upper ends to the frame. 1

As thus described, the driver and mechanician may be seated at the respective sides of the driving shaft 19 of the engine, entirely within and housed by the casing, and no objectionable pockets or recesses will be formed on the outside, which materially interfere with operation, a way 20 being provided for ingress and egress and a cover provided and are arranged in pairs, as the pair of mirrors 22 shown in Fig. 3 and disposed in the front part of chamber 15 adjacent to the lower ends of the inclined tubes 23, the pair ofmirrors 24 best shown in Fig. 1 within the hoods 25, said hoods being provided with collars d and each having a depressed part 6 for containing mirrors (not shown) and defining the junction of a hood with a tube 23, the inclination of the mirrors being such that the front wheels, the roadway at the front of the vehicle, or objects in the roadway may be conveniently and readily seen by the driver and mechanician, during operation.

Numerals 26 indicate a pair of mirrors mounted upon the collars dof the hoods, and the driver and mechanician, on account of the transparency of plates 0 and useof said mirrors 26, may visibly inspect therear wheels and the roadway at the rear of the vehicle. Also a single, inclined mirror is indicated at 27 arid is disposed at the longitudinal middle of, and is mounted upon the casing, forwardly of the cover 21, and by its use, the operators within the chamber, may visibly inspect the roadway at the rear of the vehicle.

In order that the exhaust port of each engine cylinder may be provided with a separate conduit to the end that the exhaust gases may more readily reach the atmosphere, four conduits 28, 29, 30 and 31 are provided for a four-cylinder engine, each being of segmental form in cross-section, so that when assembled they may be inclosed in a jacket 14, said jacket being circular in cross-section, and for the greater part of its length having a longitudinal curvature conforming to the wall and disposed at the'side of the casing '12, asbest shown in Fi 2.

f imong some of the advantages to be derived by use of the invention, it may be said that since the exhaust conduits discharge to the atmosphere in line with the longitudinal axis of the casing, the force derived from these discharges is applied in a manner to materially assist a forward movement of the vehicle.

low the cover. It provides a firm support for the cover, reinforces the casing, and operates as a shield to protect a driver and a mechanician, if the vehicle should overturn.

Since liability to injury of the occupants of the vehicle is reduced toa minimum, and since, on account of the form of the casing, no air-pockets are formedto induce suction, together with other features mentioned, it is considered that a very high .degree of speed 'may be attained, depending only upon the character of the engine to be employed. The radiator is provided, at its middle, with a forwardly projecting, convergent projection a: terminating in line with the axis of the casing, which tends to, equalize the stressesdirected to the front of the vehicle body or casing from air-resistance when the vehicle is moving, which,-0bviously, is an advantage.-

Having fully explained construction and function to be discharged by the several parts, what I claim as my invention and desire to. secure by Letters Patent is,.

I 1'. In a racing-vehicle, a ame, a hanger projecting below the frame, seats secured tothe hanger,-a casing substantially of torpedo-shape circumscribing the seats and frame. and provided midway between its ends with an entrance way, a cover conforming to the convexed contour of the casing for closing said entrance way, and a plurality of mirrors mounted upon the casing pants of thecasing to visibly inspect the space at thefront and rear of the vehicle, a,

mime? jacket circular in cross-section having a longitudinal curvature corresponding substantially to the longitudinal curvature of and disposed at the side of the casing, said jacket having a terminal part disposed at the rear and in line with the longitudinal axis of the casing, and a plurality of exhaust conduits disposed in said jacket each having a segmental form in cross-section.

3. In a racing vehicle of the type described having a plurality of cylinders, a frame, seats disposed below and connected with the frame, a casing substantially of torpedo-shape c'ircumscribing the seats and frame and having a convergent part at its front end, said casing being provided midway between its ends with a chamber and an entrance way thereto, a cover consisting of a frame and transparent plates for making a closure of said entrance way, a plural ity of mirrors mounted upon the casing to permit operators within the chamber to visibly inspect the space at the front and rear of the vehicle, a plurality of conduits each being in communication with an exhaust port of a cylinder, a jacket circumscribing the conduits and having a terminal part disposed rearwardly of and in line with the longitudinal axis of the casing, said cover having a. form [corresponding substantially to the convexity of said casing.

4. In a racing vehicle, a frame, a hanger extending below the frame, seats secured to the hanger, a casing having a forwardly tapered part with a convergent terminal part and having a cone-shaped rear end, said casing being disposed to circumscribe the seats and frame and being provided substantially midway between its ends with an entrance way, a truss-bar disposed in the medial line of the casing above said entrance way, a cover conforming to the convexed contour of the casing for engaging the trussbar and making a closure of said entrance way, and a plurality of mirrors mounted on the casing adjacent to said seats to permit occupants of the casing to visibly inspect the space at the front and rear of the ve hicle.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY D. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

R. D. SCHNOOR, ARTHUR H. S'rumns. 

